Driving mechanism



N. M. LOWER DRIVING MECHANISM March 30, 1937.

Filed March l5, 1935 Patented Mar. 30, Y1937 Nathan M. Lower, Crestwood, Tuckahoe, N. Y.,

assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Stand-s 1 ard Stoker Company, Inc.,-, ,New.fYl'k, N. Y., a Y

corporation of Delaware; Application March 15, Se

2 Claims.

My invention relates to driving mechanism and particularly to such mechanism for use in driving conveyors. More specifically, the invention relates to conveying systems of the type employing several conveyors driven by gearing, the conveyors being related with' the gearing in a manner so that when the operation of one conveyor is interrupted, the other conveyor or conveyor will continue to operate.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a conveying system of the type described with novel drive mechanism that is of simple, compact and durable mechanical construction, comprising a minimum number of parts and is ecient in operation.

More particularly, itis an object of my invention to provide a driving mechanism including a drive shaft and a pair of driven shafts, the driving mechanism being characterized by a gear train operatively connecting one of the driven shafts and the drive shaft, and means rotatable with the other driven shaft and slidable therealong longitudinally in one direction to operatively connect said driven shafts and in the opposite direction to disconnect the one driven shaft from its operative relation with the other driven shaft,

A further object of the invention resides in the novel combination of driving mechanism of the type described with a conveying system which employs at least a pair of conveyor screws having independent drive connections `and wherein the driving shaft for one conveyor screw'passes freely through the other conveyor screw.

A still further object of the invention resides in a novel combination of elements as set forth adjacent portions of alocomotive and tender provided with a stoker embodying the invention, parts of the stoker being shown in vertical medial section and other parts being shown in side elevation;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the novel stoker drive mechanism taken on the line 2-2 of Figure3; i

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 oi Figure 2; and

rial No'. 111,19?vr j (c1. v19a-,15)

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 2. f

Referring to the, drawing, which illustrates the invention as applied to a locomotive stoker, I0 represents the locomotive having a iirebox I I provided With a backwall I2 in which there is the usual Afiring opening I3. 'I'he numeral I4 indi- Cates the tender which is coupled to the-locomotive 'atI |45. The tender I4 includes the deck I6, `a fuelbinlj'l above the deck and a compartment I8 therebelow in which is mounted the open mouth trough I9wof a'l Stoker designated generally bythe letter S.

The trough I9 is rigidly mounted on the tender and is arranged to receive fuel from the bin I'I through the aperture in the deck I6. Rigidly mounted on the locomotive is an inclined elevator conduit 2| which communicates with the rebox II through the firing opening I3 and has associated therewith a fuel distributing means 22 arranged to receive the fuel discharged from the elevator conduit 2I and project it to all parts of the firebed. An intermediate conduit 23 comprising the telescopically related -sections 24 and 25 is connected at its forward end to the rearward end of the elevator conduit by a ball and socket joint 26 and at its rearward end to the forward end of the trough I9 by a ball and'socket joint 21. Fuel is advancedY through the stoker conduit system by a series of conveyors including a conveyorscrew 28 mounted in thetrough I9, a conf veyor screw 29 in the intermediate conduit 23 and a conveyor screw 30 in the inclined conduit 2I. The conveyor screws 29 and 30 are connected at their adjacent ends by a universal joint structure 3|. The rearward end of the intermediate conveyor screw 29 receives fuel from the forward end of the trough screw 28 but has a separate drive l connection, Vwhich will be described more fully as the description proceeds. Y Y

The driving mechanism for Athe conveyor screws is disposed vat the rear of the trough I9 within a casing 32 and includes a reduction gear ytrain 33. Comprising the gear train 33 is a vpinion 34 meshing a gear 35 which is keyed or otherwise fixed to a shaft 3Ii.V One end of the shaft`36 is mounted in a bearing 31 whichl is formed in the detachable cover 38 of the casing 32, while the other end of the shaft 36 passes through a hollow hub 39 which is journalled in a bearing 40. The hollow hub or hollow shaft 39 in effect forms a continuation of the hollow hub 4I of the conveyor screw 28 and is secured thereto by means of bolts 42 passing through the flanges 43 and 44 of the hollow hubs 39 and 4|,

respectively. A spacer l0, made of ayieldable material, is provided between the flanges 43 and 44 to permit slight flexibility between the conveyor screw 28 and the hollow hub 39.

In substantial axial alignment with the shaft 36 and extending through the hollow hub 4| of the conveyor screw 28 is anothershaft 45 which is coupled to the shaft 36 by a sleeve 46 and has the opposite end projecting beyond the forward end of the conveyor screw 28. To this latter end of the shaft 45 is fastened a jaw member`r4l,

forming one element of a universal joint`48which connects the rearward endof j the intermediate conveyor screw 29 to the-shaft 45.' within the ball and socket joint 21. faces of the shafts 45 and 36 are slightly rounded and suflicient play is allowedgbetween,theadjacent end portionsof the shafts 45 and 36 andthe sleeve 46 to permit slight flexibility between the two shafts. ,Y Y Y A clutch member'50 is splinedto the-hollow hub or shaftV 39, as at 49, and is slidable longitudinally therealong. A thrust collar 50a is seated in the groove 39a and engages the polygonal shaped portion 3912 whereby the collar will rotate with the hollow shaft 39. When the clutch member 50 is moved longitudinally along the splined shaft portion 49 to the position shown in Figure 2, the projection 5l of the clutch mem.- ber 50 is engaged bythe lug 5 2 of `the gear 35 and, conversely, movement of the clutchniember 50 in the opposite direction causes the v projection 5l and lug 52 to disengage.

The pinion vgear l3 4 is fixed to the drive shaft 53 which receives power from a suitable prime mover (not shown) by means of shafting 54. The pinion gear 34 operates the gear 35 which in turn operates the conveyor `screws 29and 30 through the shafts 36 and 45 and, when the projection 5I and lug 52 are Vin engagement, also operates the conveyor screw 28 through the hollow hub 39. When the projection 5I andlug` 52 are out of engagement, the conveyor screw 28 will remain idle while the conveyor screws 29 andV 30 continue to operate. ,A

During operation ofthe conveying system, extraneous matter in the fuel will sometimes lodge between the crusher55 and the flights of the conveyor screw 28, .causing the entire conveying mechanism to become inoperative. Now, by disengaging the projection 5|l and lug .5 2 by sliding the clutch member 56 forward -along the splined shaft portion 49, the conveyor screw 28 is rendered inoperative while conveyor screws 29 and 36 continue to operate. vThe stoker operator may then swing open the -hinged cover 56 which is over the hopper 5l in the elevator conduit 2| and manually deliver a charge of fuel therein, whereby the elevator screw 31D willcontinue delivery of fuel to the distributing means V22.

The mechanism for shifting the clutch member 50 includes a forked yoke 58 whichis fixed to a shaft 59 by a pin 60 and engages a groove 6I in the clutch member 50. Coupled to the kshaft 59 is an kextension rod 62, ,which may be manipulated by the stoker operator in a manner The adjacent fend to shift the clutch member 59 into or out of engagement with the gear 35. The forked yoke 58 is provided with an extension 63 having a pair of notches 64, 65 which are engageable by a spring actuated detent 66 for retaining the clutch member 59 in or out of engagement with the gear 35. j Y

While the invention has beendescribed in connection with a stoker conveying system, it is apparentthat its use is not limited to such devices but is applicable in a variety of conveying systems.

I claim: 1.',Ink a conveying system, a conduit having a material receiving portion and a material discharge portion, a drive mechanism housing, a A,hollow hub journalled in said housing, a shaft passing through said hollow hub, mechanism for rotating said hollow hub and' said shaft, means for interrupting the operation of said hollow hub during continued operation of said shaft, a Conveyor screw in said conduit comprising a plurality of screw sections, one of saidscrew sections beingdisposed within the material receiving portion of said conduit, said Vscrew section including a hollow hub and a shaft passing therethrough, said last named hollowhub being flexibly connected to the hollow hubV in said drive mechanism` housing for slight relative angular movement therebetween, said last named shaft at one end being jointedto an adjacent screw section in end to end relation and at the other end being flexibly connected to the shaft in said drive mechanism housing for relative longitudinal movement and slight relative angular movement therebetween, said conduit being arranged to receive material in its material discharge portion independently of its material receiving portion.

2. In a conveying system, a conduit, a drive mechanism housing, a hollow hub journalled in said housing, a shaft in said hollow hub, mechanism for rotating said hollow hub and said shaft, means for interrupting the operation of said hollow hub during continued operation of said shaft, a conveying screwin said conduit comprising a plurality of screw sections, one of said screw sections including ahollow hub, means securing said first and second named hollow hubs together in end to end relation and yieldable means between the adjacent ends of said hollow hubs providing slight relative angular movement between said hollow hubs, a shaft in said second named hollow hub, said second named shaft at one end being jointed to an adjacent screw section and at the other end being in end to end relation with said rst named shaft, the

adjacent ends of said shafts being in approximate alignment with the adjacent ends of said hollow hubs, and rn'eans coupling the adjacent Aends of said shafts for lconjoint operation, said 

